Phoebe Judge

By 1970, police estimated that one in every 15 people in Detroit played the numbers daily, and that it was generating $94 million a year.

Here's how you play.

So that meant she paid out hits.

So she wasn't going to the bank to collect on.

The bank was...

Her?

Yes, ultimately.

Before she could graduate from bookie to banker, Fannie needed a pool of money to pay out winning hits.

So she asked her brother for help.

Being a banker wasn't something that women did often.

What do you think gave your mother the confidence to do this?

Tell me about your mother's schedule, how the day would go once the business picked up.

What was the day's schedule?

The calculation was made using an elaborate formula based on horse race winnings from racetracks.

Those results wouldn't be tabulated until after Fannie's bets were closed, so there was no way to cheat.

So how would people find out if they'd won?

Brigette remembers that when the winning numbers would come in each night, things could get stressful in the house.

If someone won big, her mother would have to pay out.

We'll be right back.

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